Effect of mulching on plant growth, yield and quality of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Abstract

An experiment titled “Effect of Mulching on Plant Growth, Yield and Quality of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cv. Arka Suvidha” was carried out from October 2024 to January 2025 at the Central Horticulture Research Farm, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P), India. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The findings of the study indicated the use of various mulching materials namely T0 (control), T1 (Paddy straw mulch), T2 (Rice husk mulch), T3 (Newspaper mulch), T4 (Dry leaves mulch), T5 (Banana leaves mulch), T6 (Black plastic mulch), and T7 (Transparent plastic mulch), which influenced the growth and productivity of French bean. Among the treatments, Black plastic mulch (Treatment T6) proved to be the most effective, resulting in superior outcomes such as earlier seed germination (3.67 DAS), increased plant height at 30DAS(33.6 cm), 60DAS(42.8 cm), and 90DAS (51.2 cm), plant spread at 30DAS (31.1), 60DAS(41.8), and 90DAS (48.7), Number of leaves/plant at 30DAS (30.2), 60DAS (60) and 90DAS (87.7), pod weight (9.33g), pod length (11.91cm), pod diameter (1.48cm), and maximum no. of pods and pod yield/ha(15 t). Similarly with the economic point of view, treatment black plastic mulch resulted in maximum benefit cost ratio (3.5).